An, Governor of Kirin, reporting the partial failure of the tobacco crop in that province, and a consequent falling of in the duties collected, and praying that His Majesty will be graciously pleased to remit the amount by which the collection falls short of the average sum. Two years ago, the collection of the duty on wood, wine and tobacco, was transferred to the agents appointed for that purpose by the military Governor, and during the first year in which the new arrangement was in fox the total collection on tobacco and wine amounted to Tls. 30,000 and upwards, Tls. 28,000 being the regular assessment, and Ts, 2,000 and upwards the surplus colleen tion. On wood, Tls.3,7000dd were collected, of which amount fis. 3,700 was the regular assessment. Inasmuch, however, as the receipts upon these different articles of native produce depended entirely upon the state of the weather, it was suggested that no regular assessment should be fixed until the average collection could be determined by a trial of three years. Last year the cold weather set in very early, and repeated hard frosts did great damage to the tobacco plant, the leaves of which, as was ascertained upon careful inspection, were nipped and fell off before they had come to maturity, resulting in a diminution of the average crop by more than forty per cent. This failure was reported to His Majesty at the time, and every effort was made by memorialist's agents to prevent smuggling and other irregularities, but in spite of the greatest watchfulness, it was found that at the close of the financial year, ending on the last day of the 5th year of Kuang Hsii, the books of the collectors did not show more than the following total Duty on wood, after deducting ten per cent. for wages, stationery, ete, 8,599 Duty on tobacco and wine after reduction of ten per cent. for wages, stationery, ete. 19,449
The duty collected on wine, being comparatively small, has been thrown in with the receipts on tobacco. Fearing that so serious deficit must be caused by the existence of some abuse or other, the memorialist made careful enquiry, which established the fact that the falling off was entirely due to. the severe and premature winter, a discovery that was corroborated by public opinion. Under these circumstances, and in view of the suggestion earlier referred to that the average of three years' collections should be taken as the basis upon which the assessment should be determined, the memorialist. humbly requests that His Majesty will be graciously pleased to remit the deficit which he has now to report.—Granted by Rescript.
June 23rd.—(Memorials issued for publication.) (1) T'u Tsung-ying, Governor of Honan, reports disastrous fall of hail in Lo-yang, and other districts in his rovince.—Rescript: The sudden fall of jail in Lo-yang and other districts causing injury to persons, animals and crops, is most pitiable. Let the Governor direct the local authorities to do their best to afford the people comfort and consolation, that they xy not be obliged to leave their hom Postscript memorial from Feng Shin, Military Governor of Heh Lung Kiang, and his colleagues. It has always been the rule when an official who has been banished into military servitude has performed his duties without shortcoming for the fall space of three years, to apply to his Majesty for the release of the convict, and this release has never failed, under such ditions, to be granted. Lin Hsi-tung, ex-Magistrate of Yii-hang Hsien in C kiang, was cashiered and banished for his failure to discover that Ko P'in-lien, the victim in the celebrated ease of Yany Hai wu, had been poisoned. He was sent to do duty in the Amoor region, and on his arrival station he was sent to the Mang-nai to perform laborious service for a year. During his year of duty he spared no pains to carry out his work satisfactorily, and at the expiration of twelve months' service he was transferred to the correspondence office, where his diligence was still more commendable. Being nearly eighty years of age, more feeble day by day, and so, although he had not served his full term, the memorialists, in compassion for his great age, applied to His Majesty to grant him his release. The Board in reply stated that the application must be sent in at the end of his three years of service. Buoyed up by the hope of obtaining his release within asiven time, the atticer in question redoubled his efforts to retrieve his shortcomings by diligent work. His three years of service expired in the Sth mouth of the present year, and during the whole of that time he has not relaxed "his efforts, his case is a most deserving one. The memorialist beys also to report that Ssu ch'éng, an ex-colonel, who was found guilty of fraud and deceit in the case of Chan Ch'i-lun, who murdered one of his connections and was banished to the Amoor, has now served his full term of three years, during which time his conduct has been exemplary, and his diligence marked. He also is stricken in years, being over sixty at the present time, in feeble health, "blind and poor. The memorialist would therefore solicit His Majesty's compassion for these two individuals, and ask that they may be released.—By a Rescript appended to the memorial the release applied for is granted, (3) The only other document worthy of note in this day's Gazette, is a long memorial from Ming An, Governor of Kirin, reporting the re-hearing of a complicated and uninteresting appeal case, June 24th.—(1) Memorial from the acting Governor-General of the Two Kuang Provinces, denouncing a colonel in the naval brigade, who has been most lax in the drilling of the company of a hundred men under his command, neglecting to call them out for drill on the proper days, recruiting the ranks with men who know nothing of a sailor's duties, and drafting; two sergeants into his company who had other duties to perform. These shortcomings having come to the notice of the former Governor, he was removed from his post pending an enquiry, which having now been held fully establishes the charges brought against him, The memorialist begs therefore to recommend that he be dismissed the public service.
(2) Memorial from the same officer, reporting that he has forwarded the second, instalment of the annual contribution to Peking of the revenue collected on salt. The total assessment on the salt revenue of Kuangtung for the year 1880 is altogether Tls. 000. Of this amount, the sum of Tls, 82,160 has been forwarded in the first remittance, which includes the usual allowances for the turn of the scale, porterage, &e., &e. Tis, 81,800 have now bet forwarded, which include Tls. 10,000, interest on Imperial investments, a further sum of Tis, 10,000 being sent for the use of the office of the Imperial Household, with Tls. 3.30 allowance for turn of scale, Half the above amount is sent iv silver, and the remainder in bills.
(3) Séléngoh, Imperial Residentin Thibet, reports that be has held the usual spring review of the Chinese and native troops stationed in Antenor Thibet. He found the men formed well in battle order, and were well trained in volley firing and artillery practice, while they did fairly in shield and Sword drill. In horse and foot archery drill, there was considerable difference sit the prowess displayed, but the average of the whole performance may be said to reach seven-teutls of perfection. Rewards were bestowed on the deserving, and fines inflicted on those who proved themselves inefficient.
(4) Postscript memorial from the same officer. In the summer of last year, the memorialist entered Thibet by way of Ta Tsien Lu. A good half of the route travelled by him was hilly, and ran through narrow gorges that formed dangerous vantage ground for an enemy, On his arrival at his post, he inspected the three regiments stationed in Ulterior Thibet. Finding the passes occupied by them were numerous and scattered, he directed the different officers, Chinese and native, in command of the various companies, to be strict in the matter of drill and guard. On inspecting the troops in Anterior Thibet this spring, he noticed that though they formed well in line and column, they could not manoeuvre very well, so he intends to instruct the elficers to give them extra drill, that they may be vilicient
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.